Global Witness response to President Temer's comment on 'At What Cost?'

Global Witness responds to President Temer of Brazil's accusation that our report 'At What Cost?' is fake news.

Statement from Ben
Leather, Senior Campaigner at Global Witness:

That
President Temer has opted to attack our report and question our integrity is
emblematic of his government’s attitude to human rights and those who protect
them. Rather than committing to protect people from murder and articulating how
he will do that, he has instead deliberately jeopardised our efforts to support
those at risk. Brushing it aside with the Trumpian moniker of “fake news” is
irresponsible and disappointing on every level.

Global
Witness´s methodology is thorough, and our data subject to rigorous verification.
But he is right to ask about the numbers. Because, if anything, many more
activists are dying than we are able to document. Not to mention those who are
threatened, attacked, harassed and criminalised for defending their land rights
and our environment.

Brazil is
the world´s most dangerous country for land and environmental activism. But if
defenders aren’t safe, then everybody’s rights are at risk of being undermined
by big business and corrupt politicians. President Temer and all the candidates
for the forthcoming elections should commit to tackling this issue,
strengthening the institutions that protect land rights, indigenous peoples and
human rights defenders, and ensuring that justice is done.

The increase in budget for the Human Rights Defender Protection Program is a welcome step in the right direction, but it must be effectively implemented across the country as a matter of priority.

The new
Global Witness report, “At What Cost?” recommended that the Brazilian
government:

Strengthen the budget allocation and the
institutional capacity of the National Institute of Colonisation and Agrarian
Reform (INCRA) and the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI).

Prioritise implementation of the Protection
Program for Human Rights Defenders, guaranteeing its effectiveness across all
states of the country.

Encourage the Federal Prosecutor’s Office to request the ‘federalisation’of emblematic killings of human rights defenders, whose
investigations are not adequately progressing at the local level, in order to
increase impartiality, create a safer environment for witnesses and reduce the
impunity rate.